The Emperor's Adventure
by xXFissshBonesssXx
Summary: Harry Potter goes on an adventure.
1. Chapter 1: Harry Potter

**Chapter 1:** Harry Potter

All adventures begin somewhere.

* * *

Nagini followed the smell of her master's steps. The cool, putrid stench of death directed her to him. It was not always this way but over time the curious cascade of potions ingredients had given way to corpses. Wistful, Nagini gave a plaintive hiss, and abandoned memory. Her master walked now, she would follow him now.

They came upon a nest. It was wood and magic; a wizard's nest. Her master opened the door. No doors stayed closed to him for long. His lights erased all obstacles as they slipped into the nest. Tonight they came to feast.

The smell of death followed a green light. Nagini coiled and unhinged her jaws. A hand came to rest on her crown scales.

 _Not yet, not this one._

Nagini nodded and together they climbed the stair.

Her human hissed at another, a woman. The woman crowed, sounds Nagini recognized as human, before a flash of green. The smell of death doubled. Her master was tapping her crown scales again.

 _Soon. Very soon._

Curious, Nagini lifted her head to watch her human level his stick at a wood cage with no roof. From inside, quiet human chirping.

Nagini watched, still as stone, as her wizard rose his stick for the third time that night to summon death.

* * *

The night was chill and dark. The neighborhood was quiet where the two wizards met, footsteps falling into sync as they fell into step beside one another. They exchanged no greetings, spared each other only a moment's glance, before their attentions turned to a lamp post on a corner of the street.

No one else was awake so late at night to see the curious shape of an old man in deep fuchsia robes unfold himself from time and space and step into existence without the assistance of any carriage or car. He held in his arms a babe wrapped in a blue blanket. The babe was a boy, and his name was Harry Potter.

The two wizards awaited their colleague's acknowledgement before approaching, eyes cast watchfully about for any sign of movement, despite the lateness of the hour.

"Just this way," the old man supplied, turning down the lane, babe wrapped up in his arms.

One of the wizards following suddenly broke line with his fellow to step directly beside the boy and the old man. His face was pale and his eyes were rubbed red with worry. "Is, I mean, is he—"

"Sleeping, Sirius," the old man replied, a twinkle in his eye, "I'm afraid I might wake him but perhaps with your help he can remain as he is. Would you like to carry him a ways?"

The younger man nodded fervently but took pause and then great care accepting young Harry.

"Thank Merlin, he's fine," Sirius breathed in great relief, "Sound asleep! Even now!"

The older wizard nodded as though to himself. "He has Lily's eyes."

"I know, and James's hair! Look at the way his little fists are curled; he'll make a fine lad. Just fine."

"And finer still, once he is under the roof of his relatives."

A noise of quiet distress brought the two men from their quiet conversation over the child, and they glanced back at the figure of Severus Snape.

"You are certain of this, Headmaster?" The man's black eyes were as red-rubbed as his fellow's, but they shone with a vibrancy visible even in the dark of night. "To leave him _here_? With her sister?"

"With Muggles, you mean," Sirius muttered darkly, meeting Snape's sharp eyes over Harry's head.

"Do you mean, am I certain that here will young Harry remain safe, well kept, and loved?"

The two men turned from one another to look to Albus Dumbledore as they came to a stop in front of Number Four, Privet Drive. The size of the house alone indicated well enough that the family within could of course bear the burden of caring for a young child. Albus took his wand from the deep folds of his robe and waved it over the sleeping child in Sirius's arms. The warming spell would keep Harry cozy until he was brought across the threshold. Dumbledore's blue eyes shone like starlight as he plucked the infant from his godfather's reluctant embrace and rocked him once. The sleeping Harry burbled, yawned, and dreamt.

"Of this, Severus, I have no doubt."

Dumbledore lay Harry Potter at the doorstep of Privet Drive along with a cream colored envelope.

He smiled.

"Good luck, Harry Potter."

Behind him Snape and Sirius were not smiling. The two men waited until Dumbledore came away from the doorstep and broke into whispers of protest at the same time.

"Albus, I really must protest. Lily was the kindest witch but Petunia Evans, _that_ woman—"

"He's my godson, they named me godfather! And there are wards strong enough at Grimmuald Place—"

The old man allowed their bickering for a time, all the while unfolding a small pocket watch from a maroon handkerchief. He let the two men bicker and argue while the seconds ticked past. Then he nodded before opening his hand and holding the small watch out between them. Both men fell silent and obediently reached out to place their fingertips to either side of the watch face. The tiny silver instrument inside ticked down its last twenty ticks. A sharp gust of wind announced their disappearance into the night.

They appeared again in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

"—only right that the boy's brought up in a _wizarding_ family! He'll be a hero to our world!"

"—family is no good, Albus, if I am sure of anything, it is that you will come to regret this decision."

The two men continued their previous lines of thought with vehemence as Dumbledore walked round his office. He stopped to greet the brilliant red and gold bird alighting its post. The phoenix warbled a gentle greeting and met his wizard's hand with a nudge of his head. Behind him both Snape and Sirius had followed and all three now stood before his desk.

"Gentlemen," the Headmaster said, allowing both a pause for breath, "Tea?"

He waved his wand while the two men took chairs in front of the desk, which had been kind enough to round out and accommodate an extra space for the refreshments. A silver tray appeared and on it three drops of porcelain wound themselves up into little ovals, sprouting round handles and straightening up into cups. Piping hot tea was stirred with honey-laden spoons and Dumbledore took his chair as Sirius conjured a small milk pitcher.

The clinking of cups and spoons filled a brief pause. There was a moment of drinking and a great sigh seemed to slip from the sippers. Silence followed.

"He's gone, then," Snape said eventually, dark eyes coming to rest questioningly upon the Headmaster.

"So it would seem," Dumbledore said slowly. His long fingers steepled together over his tea cup, "and yet Lord Voldemornt—"

Sirius nearly knocked his cup from the table as he set his hand down rather forcefully.

"Speak not the name!"

"I know you do not fear him, Albus," Snape said levelly over his own cup, though his hand shook, "yet, for those of us who do… for those of us who did, do not. Not on this night."

The old wizard regarded his two young fellows with a raised brow. "Very well. Forgive me. After all, it has been a most unusual night."

Sirius snorted his tea. Snape looked faintly disgusted as the other man set it down and gestured grandly, getting to his feet.

"Unusual? Unusual! The Dark Lord falls! Two families, torn apart! My best friends, murdered! My godson, made fatherless!" He roared the last, throwing both hands to the desk this time, and succeeded in upsetting the tea cups and the milk pitcher. Snape brandished his wand and vanished the spilt milk as Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"It has been a difficult night for everyone, Sirius. I understand your grief; James and Lily were not only your friends."

This had the desired effect of sobering Sirius, who calmed enough to apologize to the older wizard and take his seat again. Once the man was sufficiently composed and with another cup of tea the Headmaster turned to Snape.

"Perhaps it will help him, Severus, if he could see—"

"I think not," Snape cut in, but Sirius was sitting up straighter, wild eyes focused now on the man sitting beside him. "He and I have been through enough this night." But Dumbledore shook his head.

"While it's fresh," he insisted, and stood to summon something from a cupboard.

Sirius watched, transfixed, as a great shallow bowl floated toward them. Already Snape was putting his wand to his temple. Tea forgotten, Sirius could barely breathe as Snape extracted a silvery memory and dropped it onto the surface of the Pensive. The Headmaster placed his own cup aside and stood.

"I think it's best we see it together, my boy."

He turned to Snape. "Severus, you have already lived this memory once this night; you need not repeat it, if that is your wish."

The dour man shook his head minutely, tucked his wand back into the folds of his cloak and looked away from the Pensive, as though he'd rather it didn't exist.

Dumbledore inclined his head and gestured again; this time, to Sirius.

"When you're ready."

Together they brought their brows to the surface of the bowl and tumbled through memory.

* * *

The pitch and winding streams of grey swam together to form the house at Godric's Hollow. Sirius watched the memory shape of Snape stagger, wand gripped tight in one hand, up to the step of the house. He spun to see Dumbledore behind him.

"He was—Snape was _there_ this night? He was—"

"Devastated," Dumbledore agreed, just as a wail erupted from the house. Sirius turned and the memory shifted; he and Dumbledore stood directly now behind the doorframe. A sick feeling settled in Sirius' stomach as he set foot in the room. The monster was gone but his hand was obvious. The room was wrecked and everything in it. There were no blast marks, there had been no fight. Only murder. Snape had thrown himself to the floor beside the figure already there, splayed with eyes glazed, that Sirius recognized with a start.

"Lily," he realized.

Snape sobbed.

The sound of his wails met the thunder outside and echoed once they'd passed. But another sound followed, and Sirius mirrored Snape as he searched for the source.

"There," Dumbledore said, pointing to Harry's crib. Sirius choked to see the empty bars where his godson had slept.

"But where is Harry?"

Snape seemed to have the same mission in this memory and tore his gaze from Lily long enough to scour the room. His breathing stopped sharply. Sirius strained to see what had caught Snape's eye. The clouds over the house ghosted away, allowing the moon's light to spill over the house, down and through the ruined roof.

And under the moonlit sky did Sirius finally see the shape of a snake.

The shape of a snake bulging just the size of a baby boy.

Sirius stopped breathing, too.

" _Sectumsempra_!"

The curse snapped off Snape's wand but bounced from an unseen shield. The snake hissed, furious, rearing to retaliate.

" _Flippendo_! _Stupefy_!"

Snape's curses seemed only to press back on some invisible force surrounding the snake. His efforts were not ineffective, for he could see how the snake was becoming agitated, and he cast again, barely pausing to draw breath.

" _Diffendo_! _Bombarda_! _Reducto_!"

Finally, the blows brought the snake to convulsions, and its jaws opened wide to expel a small figure.

Sirius cried out and made to dash to it, but Dumbledore caught his shoulder in time. "This is a memory, Sirius," he reminded the shaking wizard, "We can only watch, not help, for it has already come to pass."

Memory Snape was casting spells again, stronger, louder, until at last by sheer force he blasted the creature out of the house. He spun on heel and scooped the bundle to him, unstoppering a vial with his free hand and dowsing the child with a stasis potion. The sound of anguished hissing echoed through the memory and Snape thrust his hand inside his robe. Sirius watched in horror Snape fumbling for something as the hissing drew near. Then there was a sharp crack, and he was back in the Headmaster's office.

Sirius threw himself from the chair and over Dumbledore's waste bin.

Eventually he registered the hand on his back and that someone was muttering at his ear. "…leaving him on that wretched woman's doorstep, even after Poppy had checked him over thrice… saying his swaddling saved his life, wrapped up in it as he was… said it was far too early to see the beginning of long-term ill effects." There was a brief pause and whispering, and Sirius felt the hand on his shoulder tighten. "No, Headmaster. I do _not_ think Black 'needed to see'."

Sirius nodded absently and allowed someone to drag him back to the chair. Magic vanished the vomit on his beard. Snape was shoving a cup back in his hands. He regarded Sirius with an odd look before turning to Dumbledore.

"Something stronger than tea, perhaps, Headmaster," Snape suggested.

For once Sirius had no argument with the man.

Obligingly Dumbledore tapped the cups with his wand and they became glass flutes. He gestured coaxingly over the tea kettle while murmuring beneath his breath and poured again. Snape upended something into Sirius's own flute, "for the nerves, man," and took his seat back. It was a testament to the type of night it was that Sirius drank without protest and pushed his glass closer to Dumbledore for another. Recalling what the Headmaster and Sirius Black had just lived, Snape also pushed forth his glass.

Dumbledore poured himself a glass and settled back into his chair. While the memory of such horrors clung close to the surface of his mind, young Harry Potter was alive and well, despite the best efforts of Lord Voldemornt.

Though the past was perilous the present was certain. Dumbledore rose his glass.

"To Harry Potter," he toasted, and drank.

"Harry Potter," his fellows echoed, draining their own cups.

And so it went, around the wizarding world, to those who knew, to those who speculated, and to those who began to hope for the first time in many a worrisome year. The toast to a sleeping baby rose round the world in all tongues.

* * *

And in the dark of night beneath moonlit clouds the long shape of a snake slithered, hissing gently the same name on the lips of thousands of witches and wizards.

" _Harry_. _Harry_. _Have no fear_. _Harry_ , _I will come for you_."

* * *

 **End Chapter 1**


	2. Chapter 2: Perfectly Ordinary

**Chapter 2:** Perfectly Ordinary/The Eyes in the Bush

Starting off slow.

* * *

It was a perfectly normal Tuesday morning down Privet Drive. The Dursley family were busy with their ordinary morning ablutions; Petunia powdering her nose, Vernon straightening his collar, and their darling boy Dudley still snoozing peacefully in his crib. The clock chimed eight, punctual as time ever is, and Vernon left his lovely wife to keep the house in order while he drove off to work.

At eight fifteen, the matron of the Dursley house had folded the laundry, finished the dishes in the kitchen, and had fed her toddler tot his second bottle. She took a cup of tea and congratulated herself on a morning well spent.

It wasn't until nearly quarter of nine that the creak came.

Petunia Dursley firmed the line of her thin lips and set down the empty tea cup. It always came between nine and ten, she thought as she rose from the kitchen to inspect the hallway where, of course, the door to the cupboard under the stairs had swung wide.

The Potter's only son. Her nephew.

The strange, unusual, frustrating bundle in a blue onesie had made it to the doormat this time.

Petunia huffed. "Of all the ungrateful…" She muttered, glad no one was around to observe her muttering to herself, which couldn't be too normal, as she only did it whenever something unnatural happened. Which was too frequently for her liking ever since she took the Potter tot in.

How she wished her sister hadn't gone! How she hated her for selfishly dying, her husband too, and landing her with the toddler not even old enough to properly walk!

"Always crawling, always squirming on your stomach," Petunia sniffed as she scooped up the boy, determined to have that talk with Vernon again about adding a padlock to the cupboard door, "When my Dudley was your age he was on his knees and hands! Trying to stand, trying to walk, but no. Not you."

The emerald eyes of her sister's son met her disappointed gaze.

Petunia frowned deeper and tried to make him see reason though he was not yet two years old.

"You just crawl and wiggle around, like you're trying to slide everywhere. It's not right. You're a boy, not a snake!"

Harry hissed at her.

Petunia squawked in surprise, nearly dropping the boy.

She promptly put him back where he belonged, shut up under the cupboard under the stairs, with the cupboard door locked from the outside.

The rest of the day went by in a determinedly ordinary fashion. Amelia Whitcomb came over for tea at two, and the gardener put in an appearance at four. She spent an hour with her precious baby boy in his room on the second floor reciting the alphabet and crooning sweetly when he repeated it incorrectly. He could already recite his numbers to nine, which was more than the Potter boy could, wriggling little monster that he was. There wasn't a question in her mind who was the more gifted child.

"…L, M, N…"

Dudley twisted his lips together and pronounced the letters all at once. "El-em-en! El-em-en!"

Petunia shook her head as well. "L and M and N, darling! Try again. Let's say them together, shall we? L…"

When they got to Q R and S, a third voice joined in.

Dudley started crying when Petunia shrieked. Young Harry Potter made a pleased face and hissed again.

"S, eehsssss. S."

That was the night Petunia Dursley finally convinced her husband to put a padlock on the cupboard door.

* * *

Sunlight shown down on the six orderly rows of purple and pink petunias in the Dursley's back yard. The hedges had grown back and Mrs. Dursley had them trimmed into nice, neat squares. Threaded through these ordinary garden hedges were wound tiny tendrils of green, curling and grasping, and growing slowly with new buds nosing around for the best place to bloom.

Harry Potter knew these hedges well. He liked the color of them, and the way they sometimes grew eyes.

The sunlight was warm that day, and Harry loved nothing more than to wiggle out into the yard when his relatives had left for the day; Mr. Dursley to work, Mrs. Dursley to her afternoon tea, and Dudley to a day-care. He would leave the cool dark cupboard after tapping the door twice (which always made it open) and crawl about on his stomach and elbows until he got to the back door. He would tap that twice, listen to the lock click open, and let himself out.

On days like this, with the clouds all gone and the sun shining gently, Harry Potter loved nothing more than finding the perfect patch of soft grass and settling down for a nap.

Sometimes he would dream. In his dreams, a great long shape came winding to him, all wiggling and curving, green like the hedges with black and brown patterns. The shape would bow its head and Harry would climb up on its back and together they would go on the most exciting adventure anyone had ever had.

The dream always ended just as they left the hedges of Mrs. Dursley's back garden, but Harry just knew that the adventure would be the best, because when he dreamt that dream he woke feeling like he could do anything.

Like he was special.

Harry finally found his patch of soft grass, green like the mint growing in the corner of the yard, when the hedges grew eyes.

He sat up to look at them, excited. Yellow eyes, brown eyes, eyes with long slits down the middle like splinters… there were so many! He smiled, trying to count all the eyes in the hedges as they blinked in and out of sight.

"One, two, three, four…"

From the hedge, a voice.

"He speaks!"

Harry stopped counting.

"Who said that?"

The hedge's many eyes blinked all together and from the nice neat square hedges came slithering five shapes, all different colors. Harry's eyes blinked wide and he sat up in his patch of grass. There was a small, thin shape, all black with yellow eyes; a yellow shape with white and gold eyes; a brown one with black and green flecked eyes; another brown shape with blue eyes; and a long, thick red shape, with bronze eyes. They were in the same shape from his dream. Harry's heart raced and he leaned forward.

"Are you here to take me on an adventure?" He asked. His heart was full of hope. Harry could feel it beating in his ears.

The shapes consulted one another, swaying with the blades of green grass.

"Is that your wish?"

"The first wish of the Emperor," one hissed, "An adventure!"

"He wishes to travel and explore…"

Harry watched them speak, tongues flicking and jaws clicking softly. They turned their heads to better see him. He saw now that their eyes were on either side of their head. They were long and sunlight shone off their scales. Each was different from the last and yet all five were similar. They had the same shape. He asked what to call them, catching all their eyes at once.

"My name's Harry. What are you?"

"Snakes," said the red shape, "I am _Aniliidae_."

"I am _Cylindrophiidae_ ," announced the black shape with yellow eyes, "These are Viper and Asp; the longest is Taipan."

Harry licked his lips and twisted his tongue trying to repeat the names. "Viper, Asp, Anilee… Anileeday… Cylan… Cylindrop…" His eyes crossed with the effort and the snakes hissed encouragement. The black one snapped its jaws at the others and turned to face Harry as they fell quiet.

" _Cylindrophiidae_ ," the black snake repeated, " _Cy_ lindrophii _dae_."

It was hard to say, and Harry reported so after dutifully attempting to repeat the name several more times. The snake nodded and after consideration would consent to answer just Dae.

All of the snakes came close. Their tongues flickered out to taste the air around Harry. He watched them move gracefully, admiring the color of their scales. A breeze blew. The warm gust reminded Harry of his nap, and despite his excitement at finding new friends, he found his eyes falling shut. He made a noise of content as he lowered himself to the ground and curled into a small circle. A voice asked what he was doing, was he alright?

"It's nap time," Harry yawned.

The snakes came close and one bumped its snout against Harry's elbow. Harry felt the cool scales slide against his skin and sleepily reached around to pull the snake around him. The viper made a quiet noise of surprise but forgot its protest in favor of draping around the small human, so warm!

Blue eyes consulted yellow eyes, and bronze eyes asked what they should do.

"Be quiet," answered a sleepy Harry, "Come settle down for nap time, or I'll get angry."

He had heard Aunt Petunia say something similar to his cousin who always made a fuss at naps. That seemed to settle him; it worked on his new friends, too. The last thing Harry thought before the sunlight and warm air helped him drift off was what fun he might have with five new friends to adventure with.

* * *

 **End Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3: Gossip

**Chapter 3:** Gossip

There is always time for tea.

* * *

Amelia Whitcomb smoothed down the front of her periwinkle frock. She took a moment admiring how it matched the tidy little lilac bows on her new shoes. Then she knocked on the door of the house at the end of Wisteria Walk. She just knew her neighbor would love them. It was in fact the first thing the old woman remarked on as she invited Amelia in as usual for tea and biscuits that Friday afternoon.

"Come in! Come in. It's been too long! Why, you've got yourself new shoes—to match that lovely blue dress?"

"All at a bargain, all from the same shop, but bought from two different chaps! Is the kettle on, darling? I'm afraid I'll go on all about it before tea's ready!"

They shared a boisterous chuckle between them, keenly aware of the way their jubilance drew envious gazes from down the lane, and went inside.

Amelia let her hostess sweep her purse and jacket into the familiar corner and sat down amongst comfy cushions. The table as always was spread with an assortment of biscuits and cakes, some piping hot, with space cleared near the center for the tea tray still being fussed over in the kitchen. Amelia took a biscuit before she heard the customary "take one while they're hot!" ring out from further in the house. Eventually her hostess rejoined her with the tea tray. Both ladies made small talk, asking about this and that as they tempered the tea with honey and milk or sugar and lavender cream, taking a biscuit each and nodding politely as they conducted the pleasantries.

"I've only heard bits and pieces about the new lad running around number eight!"

"Well, he's much taller than the last one, and with a finer taste in vests, too—"

"After the last three? She's lucky any have come knocking!"

"And another before the week's out, I'll bet on my best handkerchief!"

"By my word! The things young ladies get up to these days, it's outrageous!"

"It's absurd," Amelia agreed wholeheartedly, letting the chatter wash over her. An orange tabby cat gave her ankles a needy rub and mewled quietly. The smell of tea and cats and the feel of the hand-knitted tawny tea cozies as she took another sip simply set her in a merry mood. Her frazzle-haired neighbor noted her charmed look and insisted on another cup of tea.

"Don't be shy! Don't be shy, my dear! There we go."

"Thank you, Bella, darling," Amelia cooed over the steam of her second cup, "You know my weakness."

"And you know mine! It's been far too long since I had you over last." The older woman took another sip of tea and endeavored not to smile too much over the top of her cup.

"What's the news from down the lane?"

Warmed to her subject, Amelia indulged her neighbor in the latest bit of gossip. "They say the Dursley boy escaped again."

"No!"

"Yes!"

The frazzled woman looked even more frazzled than before, clutching her teacup. Amelia tittered a laugh and waved a hand comfortingly. "Of course, he's fine! The little darling. I wouldn't wonder it was that daft Vernon Dursely left the back yard fence wide open again. He only made it to the front of the lawn when Edward Copeland went out to fetch the mail." Her reassurance didn't seem to comfort the older woman as much as she'd hoped.

"Upon my word! Letting a baby alone in the back garden… Did you say he made it to the front lawn?"

"It's all second hand, of course, I myself wasn't there—but Dehlia Jennings swears he was nearly at the post box!" She took another biscuit at her hostess's prompting. "Strange, though. When my Joseph was his age he couldn't but wiggle about. And he's even smaller than Petunia's son, too. Such a small boy!"

"It's a wonder he wasn't run over by the mail truck," the other woman muttered.

The brunette shook her head, pausing to pout and straighten out her frock again. "I doubt he would have come so far. But isn't it peculiar?"

The old woman leaned forward eagerly. "Isn't what peculiar, hmm?"

"The _boy_ ," Amelia speculated over the lip of her tea cup, "The Dursleys are fine folk; Larry's had them over for lunch. Petunia's garden could use a hand and her husband could stand to lose a stone but other than that they're the type straight down the lane." She paused to take a contemplative sip and pursed her lips. "But that boy. He seems to be trying to crawl everywhere! Almost, as if—"

"You know, I was just beginning to wonder the same," the old woman said in confidence over her own cup, "Such odd going-ons at that house. Do you think they treat him well?"

"I couldn't say," Amelia replied with a sigh of regret, "I've never seen them all together. But I will say the stone the husband could afford to lose might do some good for the boy. He'll either be short his whole life or spring up like daisies!"

"He's not Petunia's, the boy?" The old woman pressed.

"A relative," Amelia confirmed, though she recalled saying something similar the last time they'd had tea, "An aunt's son or something. Theirs by blood, but once or twice removed, at least! None of them have such dark hair. Not even Dudley."

"And they let him wander out near the street?"

"It's a crime," Amelia declared, seeing how upset the news had made her neighbor. The gray-haired woman huffed her agreement and excused herself to the kitchen to put on a second kettle.

"Have another biscuit! The yellow ones are the same from last time," she exclaimed when she returned to pour new tea, "Mother's recipe. Been in the family for ages. You _must_ let me know if you like it!"

Amelia smiled and helped herself. The cookies were sweet and tart, delicious!

"Oh, Bell, they're delightful! Will you give the the recipe? Larry would love them after noon-time tea!"

"Do you think? I'll jot it down for you before you leave today, dear."

"Oh, thank you!"

Amelia sighed happily over her new cup and breathed in the soothing scent of chamomile. "You're a dear heart, Bella, spoiling me like this." She sank further into the cushions with a contented hum as her hostess chuckled. A gray cat announced itself, yowling once at the door.

Amelia pursed her lips as her neighbor let the cat out.

"Do you think he'll be safe out there?"

The older woman laughed as she turned around with the tray. "Safe? Why, I'd say my dears know these streets better than anyone in Little Whinging! Old Mr. Tibbles will be back in time for supper; you'll see."

"Well, better yours than mine, with all those snake sightings—"

The brunette sat straight up as her hostess walked right into the edge of the table, nearly upset the entire tea tray.

"Snakes?"

"Oh, Bella! Are your ankles alright? Come, sit! Sit." She got to her feet to help her older neighbor off of hers. The woman looked white as a sheet. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Here, let me pour your tea. It's still hot, mind! There we are. Right as rain! I'm so sorry, darling, I shouldn't have said that."

"But," the older woman nearly stuttered, "snakes, in Surrey!"

"Tosh," Amelia said firmly, "I heard it from Margaret Gibbons; she lives down Magnolia Road, at number two, and besides a terrible gossip she's an awful fibber! I wouldn't worry about your darling pussies."

"Well, if you're sure... yes, I suppose," the older woman agreed reluctantly, and allowed her guest to chatter on about the woman living at number three Privet Drive, something about how her pet fancy rats kept going missing.

* * *

Eventually the tea kettle was emptied a second time and Arabella Figg thanked her neighbor for coming to chat, wouldn't she love to come by in two weeks and chat again? Amelia Whitcomb nodded cheerfully, of course, that would be lovely thank-you, and thanked her for the biscuits.

"Be careful on your walk home, Amelia!"

"Of course. Ta for now, Arabella!"

Once her neighbor had turned down the lane, Arabella Figg bustled back to her drawing room, past the Suggestion Solution bubbling over a small fire in the kitchen, past the enchanted spoon ladling out fresh biscuit dough onto a hot pan, and fetched a scroll of parchment and quill. She hurried to finish her report and summoned one of her cats, an inconspicuous calico, and cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm over the letter. To Muggle eyes, the calico cat was barely noticeable, and none would think twice to look at what it carried in its mouth.

"This is for Minnie's eyes only," She murmured, steering the calico out the door with the letter caught carefully in its teeth, "Don't you stop until you find her. To Minerva McGonagall with you! Off you go, now, and straight back here when you're through."

The calico skipped out the door flap, tail held high, and Mrs. Figg spared a worry for the truth in her neighbor's words. But Amelia was fairly reliable insofar as the judgement of Muggle characters.

She sighed, watching her cat disappear into a bush, and paid the matter no more mind.

* * *

The calico cat never did come back.

* * *

 **End Chapter 3**


	4. Chapter 4: Waiting

**Chapter 4:** Waiting

Anticipation makes the days seem longer.

* * *

Harry Potter woke in the dark of his cupboard, eyes wide open, stock still. A moment's observation in silence told him all he needed to know of the house; Mr. Dursley's snoring carried through the doors and down the stairs, Mrs. Dursley often murmured in her sleep, and Dudley took after his father. All three were sound asleep.

The six-year-old tapped on the cupboard door. The padlock on the other side rattled and popped open. It slid out of place and let the door swing wide and Harry crawled out, his socks making him nearly silent as he moved over the plush carpet. He tapped on the door to the back yard. He listened once more to confirm the state of the other occupants of the house and slipped outside.

The moonlight was pale and strong, filling the back yard with enough light to parody day. Harry cast his emerald eyes out over the hedges of his aunt's back garden and found eyes watching him back. He came forward to his patch of soft grass, where he used to nap in the afternoon every day, and sat squarely upon it with his legs crossed. The hedge came alive then and snakes of all shapes and sizes came forth; tiny shapes with black lines down their backs, long snakes with only one color, some with an extra eye and one with a second head, one with its tail split in three places. They moved soundlessly among the grass except for quiet excited hissing, some had never come before. Together they came to a stop a meter from Harry Potter and nodded their noses to the ground before him in greeting.

Harry smiled.

"Hello! My name is Harry."

It had been like this for some time. Ever since Harry had made friends that long afternoon ago, snakes had been coming to see him. Over weeks and months more and more had come until there were too many to safely hide amongst the grass under the sunlight. A blue and black snake had suggested they meet under the cover of moonlight and many agreed. Thus had their meetings become eclipsed into night.

Each week brought Harry hope that he would meet the snake from his dreams, and that they would go off together. He asked the snakes if they knew of such a snake, one long and big enough to bear him on its back. He was growing quickly and all of the snakes that came were small.

"Most snakes are small," chided the Aniliidae, his red scales soaking up moonlight. "A magical snake might grow so long, but you speak of fantasy. There has not been a snake big enough to bear away a human child for many moons."

"Perhaps a Basilisk," suggested a Runespoor.

"Fat chance," hissed its other head, "There hasn't been one bred in Britain for _centuries_."

The snake with three tails rattled in a temper. "The Emperor wishes to see the world! It is his desire! He has trusted us with his wish. We have not done all in our power to see it done!"

More hisses answered, and Harry made a little frown. Despite telling his name again and again they called him Emperor. In his dreams, the long green snake called him Harry, and let him climb on its back. He knew in his heart that someday that snake would come for him.

He closed his eyes and summoned his dreams. Always the great coiling shape of a snake came, in the cover of night, under the light of the moon. Its body was thick and long, heavy but graceful. The colors and patterns seemed to be diamonds in brown and black along green scales. Harry had seen them so many times.

A snout bumped against his knee and Harry opened his eyes. The hissing had quieted and all eyes looked at him now. The pencil-thin snake at his knee bobbed its snout twice.

"Have we upset you, young Emperor?"

Harry shook his head. "No, Garter. I was remembering my dream."

The small snake vibrated in excitement. "Yes! Yes! The one you always tell us—"

"Of a snake coming to bear you away on its back," continued an Asp from the crowd, "We know it well. It is our favorite story. Will you tell it again?" The many voices agreed and snouts bobbed, and Harry laughed at their eager hissing.

"Okay! Alright, everyone, hush. It begins on a night like this…"

He told them the story as he had told it many times before: in his dreams a long shape would appear (he knew to call it a snake now). The snake would gather him up on its back and bear him away, away to an adventure. It would be the greatest adventure of his life, he knew it, because when he woke, he felt he could do anything.

"As if I was special," Harry finished, just like he always did.

He gave a little sigh. It was a short story but the snakes never seemed to tire of it. Each time he told it all the snakes present gave a quiver together as though they were all being tickled at the same time.

One brown snake wriggled close and hissed something excitedly at Harry. There was so much noise from the grass that Harry missed it and asked to hear it again. The brown snake came closer, careful to duck its nose and wait for Harry to lift it from the ground, and then wound loosely around his arm. It met his emerald eyes up close and spoke again.

"Emperor, would you come away with us? We could take you on an adventure—"

At once there was a series of hisses from the ground; several snakes snapped that it was not their place, more hissed encouragement. Harry bade them be quiet and silence fell respectfully. He asked the brown snake to repeat itself a third time. This time he heard and shook his head.

"None of you are big enough for me to ride. I have to wait." There was something stubborn about the pout of his lips as he said it, "I know that snake'll come."

The brown snake bobbed its head low and hissed an apology. Behind it, the Aniliidae rose its red head.

"If we cannot bear you away, perhaps we can look for this one you speak of," he said boldly, "We know the story and you have drawn the patterns of its back in the dirt before." The look of growing hope on Harry's face spurred him to speak. "Emperor, send us on this task for you! If you command it, we will see it done!"

Around him, snakes erupted with eager agreements. All about voices echoed the same sentiment and plea. Harry's green eyes shone in the moonlight, full of hope as he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Alright!"

The hissing ceased. Each forked tongue was held with baited breath. Harry reached down and refreshed the shapes he had drawn many times before in the dirt. He didn't notice the many eyes on his every action, so consumed with remembering each detail of the scales from his dreams.

"Go out in every direction! Go look for a snake with green scales, with black and brown diamonds, with eyes like fire caught in a stone," Harry said, his own eyes flashing in the moonlight.

"Find the snake from my dreams!"

The grass was abruptly emptied. Snakes slithered off at once, each eager to be the first to discover this mystery snake. They all disappeared into the night.

Harry looked at the grass and found one lone orange snake with a strange wriggle, not moving as well as the others. He offered his arm and gently lifted the snake from the grass. It was thick as a hose and its head had two extra eyes, four in all. All four yellow eyes found Harry's.

"Thank you, Emperor. You are so warm!" It squeezed gently, like a hug on his arm. Harry smiled and rolled his palm over the snake's orange scales. It hissed its appreciation but flinched.

"Are you hurt?" Harry asked.

The yellow eyes blinked and the snake nodded.

"That's why you looked funny," Harry decided, "You were moving slower than everyone else. Show me where it hurts?"

The orange snake tapped its nose on a section of itself. The scales there were warmer than the rest of him and spread slightly. Harry imagined it had run into a rock, or a tree, or maybe somehow the snake had tied itself in a knot. But pain wasn't nice. He decided it had to go. Harry shut his eyes and sang the song his aunt often sung to Dudley.

"Pain, pain, go away! Hurts be gone. It's time to play," and Harry blew gently over the wound.

Yellow eyes blinked in amazement.

Harry smiled broadly and set the snake carefully among the grass. It took off with fantastic speed.

Alone in the back of Mrs. Dursley's ordinary garden, Harry Potter whispered a soft ' _good night_ ' to the moon, and returned to his cupboard.

* * *

 **End Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5: Nagini

**Chapter 5:** Nagini

A fateful encounter!

* * *

Sunlight shown down on the eight orderly rows of pink and red petunias in the Dursley's back yard.

The hedges had been trimmed into nice, neat squares, despite the unruly tendrils of the thorny rose bush determinedly trying to growing straight up through them. The many eyes that usually watched from the bushes had been gone for a long time now, long enough that Harry Potter knew he would be eight soon. The way the wind smelled and the extra jackets Mrs. Dursley made her son wear told him that fall was fast approaching.

Harry stood in the back yard with the last of summer's sunlight, emerald eyes searching the hedges. Snakes still came to the back yard under the light of the moon but the snake from his dream never did. It had been so long and the dream had stopped coming. Harry was finally beginning to worry that it might not come true.

Through the rose and hedge bush came a familiar red shape, the _Aniliidae,_ or Coral Snake. Harry squatted in the grass and let him curl around his arm.

 _Aniliidae_ , like Dae, had consented to being called Nil, which was simpler for a seven-almost-eight year old to say. He had returned a few days after he had left with the others, wanting to confirm the rumor that Harry could heal with his breath, and sporting a nick in his tail from where a crow had nearly made lunch of him. Harry had obligingly breathed over his tail which became whole once more. Nil had sworn to stay by Harry's side always after that, and the two of them did stay together; wearing Dudley's old baggy clothes made hiding a snake inside them very easy.

Harry sat down in the grass as the sunlight finally faded. He looked up at the sky, emerald eyes reflecting clouds.

"Will they ever find the snake from my dreams, Nil?" He asked softly.

The snake shifted on Harry's arm.

"We hear from every corner that they seek your snake, still, Emperor," Nil replied.

Harry ran his palm over Nil's scales. He knew the red and black snake liked the heat.

"I know what they _say_ ," Harry murmured, "but I want to _see_. I want to _go_. This place isn't where I belong."

The Dursley family had made that abundantly clear. They treated Harry as though he didn't exist; when they had to interact with him it was always grudgingly, to drop off food or water or an extra set of clothing. Mr. Dursley had stopped trying to assign Harry chores the first time Harry confused the dish washer with the washing machine and had ruined his best socks. Mrs. Dursley had given up trying to bother herself with teaching the nuisance who always hissed at her. Dudley had been taught by both his mother and father that the Potter boy was to be ignored or avoided, like the coffee table or coat rack. The few interactions they had had usually ended up with Harry ignoring Dudley or Dudley suddenly appearing back in his own room. The whole family now treated him like a picture on the wall that they couldn't remove but were determined to pretend did not exist.

Harry Potter knew he wasn't a Dursley. He knew he didn't belong because he knew what belonging felt like. The snakes that visited him always spoke kindly. They shared stories of the world, of their life outside the hedges and beyond the front lawn. Some would come and curl on his lap and say he was warmer than a patch of sunlight. Harry loved the way they tasted the air, sometimes tickling him! He loved their shape and the sound of their voices. Snakes were his friends, his family, and they taught him what it felt to be loved.

Harry didn't belong at Privet Drive number four. He knew that.

He was just waiting for the day his dream snake would come and take him to where he belonged.

The lights coming on inside the house told Harry that Mrs. Dursley was getting ready to make supper. He told Nil to hide himself and headed indoors. Inside, Dudley was emptying his knapsack, eagerly bragging about all the things that had happened in day-care. Mrs. Dursley was nodding along as she jointed a chicken. The two continued on as though the black-haired boy didn't silently slip in from the back door and walk around them to the den.

Harry settled down in front of the fireplace and worked on the one chore he did without prompting, lighting the fire in the fireplace. Mrs. Dursley had seen him fall asleep there in the winter time and had made the rule that if Harry wanted to use the Dursley's fire place then he was to clean it as well as stock the wood when Mr. Dursley brought it home. Harry knew how to stack the logs, how to light and kindle the fire, and how to clear out the ashes once the last embers had gone out in smoke.

Once a warm blaze was going Harry sat with legs crossed before the fire. He shut his eyes, breathing in the warmth, and ran a hand down his chest along the faint outline of Nil. The snake knew to be silent in the house and wriggled his appreciation. Harry smiled. He sat with his secret friend before the growing fire and filtered out the clamor of Mr. Dursely arriving home.

Dinner passed as it usually did.

No one asked Harry to the table.

No one offered Harry pudding once dinner was done.

No one made him get up to put the dishes away (he was banned from the dish washer and Mrs. Dursely didn't trust him with her china) or clear the table.

No one spoke to Harry as they went about their evening amusements; Mrs. Dursley knitting, Mr. Dursley turning on the telly, Dudley opening his trunk of toys and pulling out as many as he could.

An hour later, Mrs. Dursley stood to put a dozing Dudley to bed. Mr. Dursley would probably watch the telly an hour longer and Mrs. Dursley would join him once Dudley was asleep. Harry watched the fire, feeling Nil curl against his chest, and went to his cupboard.

Harry say in the space under the stairs, eyes wide open. Nil poked his snout out of Harry's shirt. "You are sad."

"I am sad, Nil," Harry agreed, running his palm over his friend's scales.

"Why are you sad, Emperor?"

Harry stilled, listening carefully to the sounds of the house. Nil waited. Snakes, Harry had learned, were amazingly patient. They could lie for hours unmoving, unblinking, still as statues. He had come to appreciate their skills and adopted several. When he was sure his uncle was still listening to the crackling of the fire and the obnoxious roar from the telly, Harry answered.

"I'm afraid my dream will never come true. It's been so long, Nil, and I don't dream that dream anymore." Harry rubbed Nil's scales reflexively. His voice was low with worry.

"Do you think that snake will come?"

The _Aniliidae_ rose and met Harry's shining emerald eyes with its own. Its voice was calm and firm, but soft.

"It is not for me to say, Emperor, whether your dream will come to pass. But this dream has come to you more than once. If you believe it is special, then it will be special."

Harry laughed once, surprised at his friend's funny answer. But it had made him feel better. "Thank you, Nil," Harry said earnestly. He felt the red and black snake curl into a familiar pattern on his chest and settle for the night. Harry ran his hand over Nil's scales and slipped into dreams.

* * *

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Bronze eyes opened. Nil's tongue tasted the air and Harry Potter woke.

The sound continued, quiet but urgent, and Harry tapped on the door to his cupboard. His throat was tight for some reason he couldn't explain, and he could feel his heart beating in his ears. Nil curled around his ankles as Harry pushed the door open and walked toward the sound. He moved slowly, drawn as though in a dream.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._ It was coming from the back door.

All around him the house was silent and yet Harry felt anxious. There was no one he could see yet the noise came again. Someone, or something, was waiting for him on the other side of the door.

Harry raised his hand and tapped the door open. It clicked and swung wide.

Outside the garden was alive. The grass was threaded with snakes of every kind; some long and some short, some green and some black, some with extra eyes or two tongues, snakes all quivering with excitement… except for one.

Harry's breath caught in his throat.

In the light of the moon on the mint green grass was the biggest snake he'd ever seen. Its shape from nose to tail tip had to be the length of a small car. It was curled with its snout to the ground when he opened the door but now its head rose and Harry met two amber eyes. He could hardly hear the excited hissing all around him as he stepped out onto the grass from his relative's house, looking over the snake's thick shape: green scales with familiar black and brown diamonds all over. Harry realized with sudden certainty that she was thick enough for him to sit on, wide enough for him to ride on. Big enough to bear him away on her back.

 _This was the snake from his dreams._

All around voices called him though he could only hear the pounding of his heart in his ears. The snake's head tilted questioningly. Harry breathed in a moonbeam.

"Hello! My name is Harry Potter. Who are you?"

"I am _Python_ , Harry Potter."

It was a girl voice, Harry realized. He stepped forward again, feet bare in the grass, and stood eye to eye with the snake. It could rear to match his height.

"Python," Harry repeated.

"I am called another name," the snake said, uncurling all twelve feet of her coils in the cool grass. Harry could feel himself leaning forward to hear her better. The snake's amber eyes never blinked as she spoke.

"Nagini."

Nil poked his head out from Harry's shirt. The _Aniliidae_ was draped across Harry's shoulders like a loose necklace. His bronze eyes searched Nagini. The Python stood her ground and met his eyes. The two seemed to hold a silent conference, each judging the other.

Harry hardly noticed. This was the snake from his dreams. He had eyes for only her now.

"I have come for you, Harry Potter," Nagini said, and the snakes in the grass quivered as one, though she rose her voice and spoke above their excited hissing.

"Will you come away with me?"

The smile that bloomed across Harry's face was more brilliant than moonlight.

He reached a hand out to Nagini's head. She ducked to let his fingers run over her crown. There was something familiar about the warmth. Nagini shut her eyes and pressed her snout up against the flat of his palm. He rolled his hand along her neck scales and climbed on her back. With a leisurely roll, casually showing her length and strength, Nagini unwound her long body and wove through the grass. Snakes darted to be quickly out of her way. The patches of soft mint-green grass tickled Harry's feet as they slid across the back lawn like leaves on a lake. Voices cried out in the quiet of night as the Emperor pressed himself tightly to Nagini's back with Nil riding his shoulder.

"Farewell! Emperor!"

"Goodbye!"

"It has begun! He is going, he is going! The Emperor is going to his great adventure!"

"There he goes. Emperor! Goodbye!"

There wasn't a thought in his mind about the house behind him as Nagini's strong coils bore them through the hedges of Mrs. Dursley's back yard.

Nil wound tightly around him and Harry pressed his fingers over his friend's snout as they disappeared into the night.

* * *

 **End Chapter 5**


	6. Chapter 6: Flatmates

**Chapter 6:** Flatmates

A domestic interlude.

* * *

Remus Lupin was making tea in his flat when he was interrupted by a clamor at his back door. He fetched another teacup in addition to his own and sighed as a large black dog let itself in. The animal was leaving muddy paw prints all over the living room and limping around with a whine. Remus gave the dog a cross look.

"I'll not have you tracking in dirt, Padfoot," he admonished.

The dog barked and rolled over. In a startling jumble of limbs, the dog became a man again, and Sirius Black gave a very human groan.

"Antidote, Remus!"

The older man abandoned the tea cups at once and dashed to another cupboard. Sirius swore under his breath and tore off his pant leg below one knee, exposing a shin. The blood smelled fresh. Remus pulled two vials, one green and one yellow, and dropped to a knee beside his flatmate.

"Spider?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Snake," he reported, and accepted the yellow vial. "Long and black. Little bugger had a nasty bite."

"You're lucky it wasn't a magical snake," Remus chided as his friend dropped three drops on his tongue, swallowing with a grimace. "Or worse. Did it get away?"

"Are you kidding?" Sirius huffed. He sounded very offended. "Me? Leave a snake alive around the house Harry lives in?!"

"Please tell me you didn't eat it," Remus said, rubbing his temples.

"I didn't eat it," Sirius repeated dutifully. He crossed his arms over his chest like a sullen child. "It's dead though."

The older man sighed. It hurt him to think of any creature being killed although it probably was safer for little Harry. Professor Dumbledore had forbidden them from visiting Harry Potter directly. The Headmaster felt that anyone knowing the location of the Boy-Who-Lived could compromise his safety. The living Marauders, however, felt it their duty to check in on their best friend's only child. They had spent years carefully mapping the discreet labyrinth of monitoring spells and protective wards surrounding Surrey before finding a route to Privet Drive. Remus' sharp nose had saved them more than a couple times from McGonagall's infrequent patrols. The two Marauders were ever on the look out for grey tabbies.

Remus poured two cups of tea as Sirius flopped into a chair.

"S'not right," he grumbled, accepting the teacup with poor grace, "Inside the house, all hours of the day! Moony! They never take him on trips to the park or to play down the lane… it's like he doesn't even exist!"

"Now, it's not our place to interfere," Remus began.

Sirius cut off the familiar speech with a long-suffering groan.

"Pfah! ' _It's for the greater good, you see'_ ," He mimicked, waving his wand over his chin and sprouting a long white beard in an unflattering imitation of the Headmaster.

Remus unsuccessfully covered a guffaw. Sirius grinned and banished the beard with a wave of his wand.

"Batty old Professor. He doesn't see the way those Muggles keep him in the house. They may not be manhandling him but keeping a growing boy from sunlight is poor form. ' _Harry is perfectly safe,_ ' my left foot!" Sirius gestured broadly with his cup, tea going everywhere. "He spends every hour of the day inside. It isn't _natural_!"

"He's _seven_ ," Remus protested wearily, "And we only just found him four months ago. Surely before then—"

"Eight, now," Sirius said. "His birthday was a few weeks ago."

"That's right," the older man agreed. Unable to celebrate with their honorary nephew, the two Marauders had instead, under a strong Notice-Me-Not charm _and_ a Glamour, visited Number four Privet Drive on his birthday. They had seen him sitting before the fire sitting with his legs crossed and his eyes closed in content.

"He looked so happy, Padfoot," Remus recalled, "Peaceful."

"Bored." Sirius grumbled. "I'd wager a bucket of Galleons he was bored out of his skull! Staring at the fire… He looked absolutely miserable, Moony!"

" _You're_ absolutely miserable, Sirius. Admit it—you just want him to be unhappy there so he can come home with you."

Sirius jabbed his finger in the air.

"Exactly!"

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Sirius Black, we've been through this a hundred times," he lectured as Sirius deflated, "Harry is still at huge risk! Even with You-Know-Who gone there's bound to be Death Eaters who slipped the Ministry purge those years ago. Professor Dumbledore says where he is now is the absolute safest place for him to be."

"Even safer than the thousand-year-old warded homes of Black Manor?"

"Sirius, everyone knows you're his godfather."

"So they know what they're up against!" Sirius barked proudly, a gleam in his eye and his chest puffed out again. Remus leveled him with a long-suffering look. He took a moment to weigh his words and spoke in a measured tone.

"Isn't that expectation and knowledge what cost James and Lily that night?"

Sirius slumped instantly against the couch. All of the pride and confidence that lit up his face had evaporated. His hands clenched open and shut restlessly as the weight of Remus' words hit home.

Remus felt guilty but he had to remind his friend of the truth. Times were still uncertain. While the immediate threat of You-Know-Who had been dealt with those who supported his ideals had not disappeared from society. The survivors used cunning and political speak to avoid being directly targeted, or money if they were otherwise unarmed. Dangerous ideas still floated around in the aftermath of a terrible war. Persecution of Muggleborns. Discrimination based on blood. Anti-creature sentiments. The victory of You-Know-Who's death had brought relief for the threat of violence and destruction but the oozing wounds of war took time to heal.

There was a huff of smoke from the fire, which turned from orange-red to green abruptly, and a tall figure in a dark cloak stepped gracefully from the flames.

Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes as the newcomer dusted the soot from his shoulders.

"Professor Snape," Remus greeted, "How can we help you?"

The taller man folded his arms over his chest, black robes sweeping the floor as he stood to his full height. "I was sent to evaluate…" Half-lidded black eyes raked scathingly over Sirius's suddenly innocent countenance. "…and offer assistance for what McGonagall assured me was a rather vicious poisoning."

Remus and Sirius exchanged a worried look.

Snape waited for their attention before continuing. "I assured her that her observations were incorrect," he drawled, ignoring the huge breaths of relief sighed out by the other men.

"Unfortunately, Black is still alive, so I can truthfully report that the ugly mongrel that was bitten in Potter's neighborhood was _not_ him. McGonagall will no doubt have her suspicious but your alibi is established."

Sirius blew out a huge breath of relief.

Remus gave Snape a more personable thank you. "For keeping our secret, Severus."

"It couldn't have been Black," Snape commented, glancing at the bottles still out on the countertop, "Not everyone has the antidote to most snake bites stored in their cupboards."

"It _was_ a thoughtful Yule gift," Remus said quietly, eyes begging Sirius not to argue. Sirius threw up his hands. Remus ignored him and accepted a pale lilac vial from the Potions Master.

"This should be enough for the next moon. Should you require additional company…" Snape's voice dropped into a warm timbre as he spoke to Remus, "I can make the appropriate arrangements."

Remus' hand lingered on Snape's wrist as he took the bottled Wolfsbane.

Behind them, Sirius made an exaggerated gagging face.

"Maybe I could use some more… _sophisticated_ company, in a week's time," the werewolf muttered rebelliously, just to hear Sirius choke behind him. Snape had to disguise a snicker.

* * *

End Chapter


	7. Chapter 7: Sahensha

**Chapter 7:** Sahensha

Harry makes a Big friend.

* * *

Harry's hands pressed warmly into Nagini's sides. Her strong coils bore them steadily along under the light of the day now. They had not stopped for want of water or food. Harry was so excited he didn't feel the rumble of his stomach or the ache of his throat. His wide emerald eyes strained to stay open, staring at everything that they passed. The trees rippled by, grass swayed, new animals appeared and disappeared between strange and curious shapes; plants and rocks and dirt, all. Nagini bore her human charge silently all the while though Harry's voice expressed awe and wonder. The red and black Coral snake around Harry's shoulders answered his friend's many questions.

"There! Nil, what are those?"

"Quorra. They are magical rabbits. They are quick and delicious."

"What is that tree called?"

"An elm. The one behind it is oak, and ahead of us, more oak."

"I've never seen cats like that before!"

"Those are feral, they belong to no human. Avoid them; they like to eat snakes."

"Oh," Harry said, eyes alighting on another new figure in the forest, "We'll stay away from them, then. What's that?"

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when Nil's tongue finally tired and Harry asked Nagini instead. The larger snake did not answer at first, so consumed in her task, until Harry patted her scales for attention.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes," she said finally.

"What's that?"

"Ask the small snake," Nagini hissed.

"Nil is asleep," Harry reported, his fingers ghosting over his friend's red and black pattern, "and I'm curious. Can't you tell me some things?"

"I will try, Harry Potter. What do you want to know?" asked Nagini.

"Where are we going?"

The big snake slowed but did not stop. Her body gave a gentle roll as she moved them over a protruding tree root in their path. Harry watched her body tense and relax in order to keep them gliding along the ground.

"Your scales are rough but sleek," he said, pressing his palm along her back. "How did you grow so big?"

"I have always been big," Nagini bragged, then asked in a teasing tone, "Why are you so small? Will you always be small?"

Harry crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks. "Hey! I'm just small because… because I'm small, okay?"

Nagini sensed her passenger was offended. She stopped completely and looped a gentle circle around the boy. Her nose came up under Harry's crossed arms to unfold them and she met his green eyed gaze. "I am sorry, Harry Potter. I am glad you are small. It would be difficult to carry you if you were very big. I would have to swallow you and drag you in my belly."

"The way you did when I was a baby?"

The big snake blinked. "That was many moons ago. You are not so small now."

"That's right," Harry said as a smile broke across his face, "Now I can ride you. So I'm big enough, see?"

Nagini's head tilted and Harry found she seemed pleased with the turn of conversation. He held on tight to her body as she started off again into the grass.

Harry sat up on her back and was mindful of low hanging branches and loose vines. He was distracted a long while by the sights he could see sitting straight up on Nagini's back. It was so wild! He thought of the garden with its hedges chopped into straight lines and now found it very strange. Everything around him looked beautiful and free. Harry went to ask his question and found his breath stolen away. Instead, he sank back down, holding Nagini's sides with care, and lay his head down on her back. Nil woke from his sleep and coiled on Harry's back where the sun shone. The green Python took care not to jostle either of her passengers as she slithered in silence.

* * *

The moon came and left the sky. The sunbeams lighted on plant and animal and rock, and Harry had questions about every thing he could see. Nil patiently answered each question best he could until his tongue tired. Harry napped often.

When they could see the moon again Nagini finally slowed. Harry thought they must have travelled halfway around the world and yet the world looked very similar to the bit of England he knew back where the Dursleys lived. "How far have we come?" he wondered aloud. Nil shrugged as much as a snake could shrug.

"I do not know, Emperor," he said. "I have never been here before, and I do not know the way back."

Harry looked up into the sky. The last sunbeams were retreating behind cloud when Nagini stopped, her long coils aching and hot. Harry slipped from her back for the first time in days and sucked in a breath at the feeling of foreign dirt under his feet. Around his neck, Nil hung like a living necklace, bronze eyes cast out around the area.

"It feels so strange," Harry breathed, taking several steps just to push the dirt around with his toes. He laughed when a black beetle scampered over the leaves on the ground. Everywhere life was moving around him and his wide eyes tried to take everything in; the soft hooting of birds above, the quiet chirping of crickets, the hum of breeze moving through the woods, and everything else. It was so interesting and different that Harry would have missed Nagini's departure, had Nil not nudged him with his snout.

"Hey!"

Nagini turned to her human and gave him a disgruntled hiss.

"Quiet," she scolded, "I will hunt now. The _Aniliidae_ will keep you safe." Harry trotted around to catch up with her as she turned away.

"Wait, wait! You've been carrying me all this time. Can't I help you? You must be sleepy."

The Python nodded wearily.

"Tired," she agreed, "but hungry. I will hunt. You will see. Stay, Harry Potter. I will come back."

Harry felt his stomach turn as she left. Part of him wished dearly that she would never leave. He had waited so many nights for her to finally come and bear him away from the Dursley's. Harry felt struck with homesickness in her absence. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he missed exactly what Nil was saying. The smaller snake mentioned words like 'hunt' and 'safe' and 'return soon' but Harry hardly heard him. He departed as well and suddenly Harry was truly alone in a strange place.

At first he took small steps back until he was leaning against a thick oak. His green eyes cast left and right looking in the sparse light between night and day for something familiar. All he could see around him was grass, the tall trunks of trees, the foliage of the forest. It was nothing like the Dursley's back yard or the front garden. Fear crept under his skin as he tried to recognize where he was. Everything was unfamiliar here. There were no straight walls boxing him in. There was no sharply trimmed hedge fencing him off. Harry was in the wild now and it took several minutes of breathing and looking and listening to calm down.

Although the uneven arms of the trees reached out in a jumble toward the sky they were sort of like a roof. Harry let his eyes sweep along the treetops and realized not one of them were straight. The branches were all crooked and bent. No straight walls at all.

Then Harry looked at the bushes where Nagini had slithered through. They were completely untamed, with bits growing every which way, leaves reaching up towards the sky, branches stretching out their arms wide. No square hedges here!

Harry found it was easier to breathe as he replaced the things he expected to see with what was before him.

He stopped trying to find familiar things and took in the sight of where he was.

Many animals made noises in the early night. It wasn't the subtle rush of automobiles or the din of the television: it was the chirping of crickets, the rustle of grass, the croaking of frogs and toads. Birds and bats winged in the evening air after flies and mosquitos and every type of bug. Harry's eyes searched up to the canopy of the forest and found the leaves speckled with dim light. The wide old oak Nagini and Nil left him by stretched tall and far but starlight shone through its branches. His fear finally evaporated and he looked around the forest with new eyes.

It was cool and dark but not suffocating like the cramped cupboard under the stair. A flash of inspiration came to Harry that lit up his smile like the light of a full moon. He never had to go back! He was free! A gush of joy in his chest brought a burst of happy laughter to his lips. The sound echoed in the forest and another sound answered it.

"Hello? Hello?"

Harry heard the voice calling, not far from where he had last seen Nil and Nagini, and followed it. It was not a girl's voice, so it was not Nagini. It was not Nil's voice either though it was the voice of a boy. Perhaps it was another snake? Harry walked faster, excited to make a new friend.

The voice called out again. "Hello? I can smell you. Are you there, Emperor?"

"I'm here," Harry answered as he reached the tree. It was certain to be a snake, Harry thought, and felt himself relax a bit. No one else called him that. He brushed away a low-hanging branch from the oak.

Harry stopped walking, confused. He had come to the place where the voice had spoke but there was no one there that he could see.

"Hello?" he called, some fear finding him again. The voice did not answer.

Harry kept one hand on the great tree and took careful steps around its trunk, wide emerald eyes searching for a snake on the ground or wrapped up on a tree branch. It was tough to see in the dark.

"Hello…" Harry called again. A very small part of him hoped the voice would not come back. "Is anyone there?"

There was a shift in the leaves from the other side of the tree. Harry knew at once that something was hiding in the forest just beyond where he could see. He sucked in a great breath, eyes focused on the shadows of the woods, and crept slowly over the thick tree roots.

A patch of scales glimmered in the dim starlight. Harry's jaw dropped.

Laced through the dense undergrowth was a snake with deep sea blue and green scales. Its head was hidden from sight but Harry knew instinctively that it was a _huge_ snake. It was woven in the spaces between foliage and root, and in the darkness of night it was nearly impossible to see. He could hardly believe that all the glimmers he could see were connected to one body. Harry felt his heart fluttering in his throat as he stepped out in front of the oak.

"My name's Harry," he whispered. "Who are you?"

The slithering slowed and from the bushes came a snout wide enough for Harry to sit on.

"I am Sahensha." The name revealed long white teeth to Harry, thicker than his fingers, and a purple-black tongue. The soft rattle of Sahensha's speech reminded Harry of something from long ago. He took a step forward bravely.

"Are you hiding because you're hurt?" he asked.

The scales stopped moving and Harry nearly lost sight of him in the dim light. Then the snake inched forward, and Harry looked curiously at patterns he had never seen before in rich purples from the snake's closed eyes—

Harry gasped. Those weren't patterns.

"Your eyes!"

"Yes," the huge snake agreed. "They do not hurt. But when the scars healed they closed over my eyes. I cannot see." He slithered closer and Harry could see his tongue darting out almost constantly to taste the air. The lines that ran from Sahensha's crown down over his eyes were not patterns but old dried blood.

It must have hurt terribly. Harry felt his heart hiccup in empathy.

"How did it happen?" he asked softly.

The great snake's coils twisted as it recalled a distant memory. Sahensha was quiet a long while before he spoke. "I remember feathers. And pain. Something scraping and scratching at my head. But that was long ago."

Indeed the dips and lines in his scales seemed hardened and rough, old and crusted with age.

"My eyes have been closed since I could smell. I hear clearly, though," Sahensha said. "I have heard whisper and rumor, Emperor. Can you heal my eyes?"

As more of Sahensha emerged from the bushes Harry could make out the brilliant red streak atop the snake's head.

"Does your head hurt?" Harry asked, "Or are those red scales?"

"They do not hurt," Sahensha answered, "They itch. Soon they will break, and I will have a beautiful crown." The big snake's snout was at Harry's feet now. His coils were tall, nearly to Harry's thighs from the ground, and more and more of him kept pushing out slowly from the undergrowth. Harry wondered if he was even bigger than Nagini. He would have to judge by the light in the morning. Sahensha finally lay docile, all his thick coils still save for the rise and fall of gentle breathing. His breath was warm across Harry's ankles. "Can you heal me, Emperor? I would swear on my fangs to never look upon you."

"What? Why wouldn't you look at me? And what does that mean, to swear on your fangs?"

"It is a promise," the big snake replied, "To swear by the fang. If I break such a promise, it is said that my fangs will fall out in recompense." He seemed to pause, uncertain for the first time, his purple-black tongue tasting the air. "If… you cannot… If the rumors are false, I will go."

" _No_!"

Harry jumped. He hadn't expected his voice to be so loud. The snake flinched, too, but Harry dropped to a knee and rested his palm on his new friend's nose.

"No," he repeated softly, "Don't go. I don't know if I can fix your eyes, but I don't want you to go without me trying first. How can we know if I don't try?" Harry ran his fingers over the scales. He was careful to avoid the deep purple streaks where blood had dried in cruel forked lines down over Sahensha's eyes. It was a long journey, but the big snake seemed charmed, making a contented hiss and nudging up into Harry's palm carefully. Harry rubbed the snake's nose again and blew gently over his closed eyes.

Sahensha stilled. Harry waited. The big snake breathed slowly. Harry could see the end of his tail twitching in the starlight.

He petted the big snake expectantly. "Did it work? Can you see?"

Sahensha blinked open his heavy eyelids and Harry saw for the first time the mangled eyes, misshapen and folded, creases of broken flesh yellowed with age. He looked straight into the big snake's gaze.

"No," Sahensha lamented, "I cannot."

"Let me try again," Harry insisted, sitting on the ground and pulling the big snake's snout into his lap. He caught Sahensha's thick head in two hands and took a deep breath. This time he blew over both the snake's eyes, not stopping until all the air was rushed out of his lungs. He sat back, a little dizzy with the effort, and blinked a few times.

There was a pale pair of round, yellow eyes blinking back at him.

"Run, Harry Potter!"

Nagini hissed furiously from the grass behind him. Before he could reply or move, Harry found the great thick length of Sahensha rising up around him in a blue and green cocoon. He felt as though he had been swallowed behind a great ocean wave as the forest disappeared from view, replaced by the great coils of Sahensha's body. Two voices called his name in a panic. There was a deep rumbling sound from all around him and Harry realized his new friend was hissing. Harry patted Sahensha's scales urgently. "Wait! Wait, what are you doing?" The scales slowed, but remained wrapped over him protectively. Harry pushed his head up over the thick coils and caught sight of two familiar shapes writhing worriedly ahead. "Sahensha, see? Those are my friends; Nil and Nagini." He thought about the names snakes often and said, "They are called _Aniliidae_ , and Python. You know them."

The massive snake finally relaxed enough to let Harry climb out from its coils. He jogged to where Nagini and Nil were hissing frantically.

"You must run, Harry Potter," Nagini chided, sounding terrified. "Hide your eyes! That is Basilisk, King of Snakes."

"It will eat us," Nil agreed. "We must flee!"

"Sahensha wouldn't eat us," Harry said simply. "He's my friend." He turned back to face the giant snake.

The Basilisk emerged fully from the foliage. He was an arm's length shorter than Nagini but twice as thick, with scales of deep blues and greens. The deep purple grooves from claw marks had become flat patterns in Sahensha's natural scales, like the echo of forked violet lightning. His yellow eyes were open wide but something glossy seemed closed over them. Harry only caught a glimpse of it because Sahensha was looking around and making quiet exclamations of wonder.

Nagini and Nil kept their own eyes averted cautiously but calmed as they listened to the larger snake. The soft hissing of delight sounded just like Harry.

"So bright! Everything has different patterns! Incredible!" Sahensha dipped his snout to a root, his entire body twitching with anticipation and excitement. "What is this? I have smelled it many times before and touched it. How is it called?"

"That's a root to a tree; it's brown," Harry answered, pleased with himself for knowing, "And you're all blue and green. Except your crest scales, up on your head, where you said it itches. Those are red. Wait, you can't see them… here," he pointed out a flower with a similar color. "These match your scales on the top of your head. Red."

"These, that smell sweet! I have always wondered how they looked. What are these called?"

"Those are flowers! There are more, I don't know all the names but Nil has been teaching me. These are lavender, violet, poppy, and mint…"

Harry came closer and closer as Sahensha writhed with joy, taking in everything clearly for the first time. Behind them Nagini and Nil held a whispered conference. When Harry and his newest friend slowed down their exploring enough, the two snakes had touched their snouts to the ground. Curious, Harry patted Sahensha's side and trotted back to them.

"What are you two doing?" he asked. They looked rather silly with their noses in the ground.

"Forgive us, Emperor," Nil said, "We chose fear over belief."

"Huh?"

Nagini lifted her snout from the dirt a bit, her warm amber eyes blinking up at him. "We assumed you, like all others, would flee the Basilisk's gaze." Harry looked back to Sahensha, whose wide yellow eyes blinked back at him. "What does that mean?" Harry asked.

The Basilisk turned away slowly, casting its newfound sight around the canopy of the forest. It stilled and in the dim starlight Harry nearly lost sight of it.

Something fell from the treetops. It did not get up.

Nil rose his head. "That is why many flee, Emperor," he hissed softly. "It is death to look into the Basilisk's eyes."

Harry had trotted over to where the owl lay unmoving on the forest floor. It was still warm.

Sahensha tucked his coils all together. He had never felt guilt before for obtaining a meal; this time it was different. He had used his eyes specifically to kill for the first time. What would be the judgement of the Emperor? Would he take back the gift of sight, to spare the lives of others? Would he banish Sahensha from his side? He suddenly did not know which fate was more detestable. The Basilisk coiled nervously and bowed its nose.

"Wow, it's really dead," Harry said as he pulled a feather loose from the owl's wing. "Nagini, can you show me how to eat it?"

Yellow, amber, and bronze eyes looked up in amazement.

Their Emperor stood over the fallen owl. Harry did not seem filled with disgust at the sight of a dead animal, nor did he seem horrified at the ease with which the owl had crumpled from its perch. There was no judgment in Harry's eyes. Just hunger.

Nil silently renewed his vow to remain at the Emperor's side. Nagini marveled at how lucky she was to have come upon the little Emperor. Sahensha bent his snout to the dirt and swore by his fangs that he would share Harry's life.

Harry wondered what his friends were thinking as they looked at him. He was hungry, and he knew Nagini and Nil had gone to eat earlier.

"It was nice of Sahensha to show how his eyes work. Maybe you can show me how to eat this? I've seen the human way to pick apart a bird; I don't think I'll like the feathers, though."

* * *

"Where should we go now?"

Nil watched his Emperor finish scraping his blunt teeth over a bone. They had made much of Sahensha's returned sight, rendering seven magic rabbits lifeless. Nagini had eaten three whole before her hunger was sated, Sahensha had taken two and Nil one. Nagini sleepily instructed Harry on how to strip the fur from the magical rabbit's flesh.

Harry had shown off his skill in making a fire, making warmth for his new friend to curl around, and to turn the meat over. The others had swallowed their meals whole. Harry had tried and felt sick. Instead he stuck the strips of rabbit and bits of owl through a thin branch. Then he toasted the outside crispy over the fire as he had seen his aunt do with marshmallows in winter time. This was much more agreeable and Harry heartily ate most of his meal. He was careful to put out the fire once his meat was darkened. Harry watched until the last ember fizzled and turned to smoke. Then he gathered the remaining bones he'd stripped the meat from.

"I want to keep these," Harry said, "They'll make good snacks for later." He had broken a bone and found the insides soft and savory, good to suck on.

"Burn them," Nagini disagreed, half-asleep from her meal. "Others will smell them. Trouble may come."

Harry laughed and rubbed the deep blue-green scales of the Basilisk. "Nil promised to protect me. So did you and Sahensha; I'll keep the bones."

"As you wish."

The Python gave a final hiss of content and slept. Harry looked over the lumps in her body and in Sahensha's body. He rubbed his own belly and turned to Nil.

"Why don't I have a big lump like all of you? I ate plenty."

"I do not know," Nil said for once. "I cannot say."

Harry shrugged his shoulders, not curious enough to pursue the line of thought, and leaned back against the pile his new friends had made. Nagini had twisted into neat coils. Sahensha had looped himself into a great fat knot. Nil was small enough to lay against Harry's back as he climbed over the two large snakes and nestled amongst their sides. His emerald eyes shone as he leaned back his head and stared up at the canopy. Above was an intricate web of shadow and starlight. Harry sighed happily as his eyelids grew heavy.

Everything was better than he could have hoped. His adventure had begun! He had three friends now. He was free to go wherever he wanted! No more staying put under the stairs. No more adults making sure he didn't leave the front lawn. He could eat anything Nil said was safe and he didn't have to share. Everything was exciting! His friends showed him new things, taught him names and words, and promised to protect him. Harry didn't know which felt more full, his heart or his stomach.

"I promise to protect you, too," Harry murmured, and dreamt.

* * *

End Chapter


	8. Chapter 8: Discovery

**Chapter 8:** Discovery

A dash of drama.

* * *

"I'm telling you, it's safe enough at Grimmauld Place." A groan answered.

"I'm telling you, we've tried a thousand times. That's what this is about? I thought you had an actual request to make of the Headmaster, Sirius, not this _again_."

The dark-haired man grinned irrepressibly as they stopped before the impassive Gargoyle statue. "Well he can't keep saying no, can he? Let's ask. One more time! Just in case?"

"You're going to make me say 'I told you so' for the hundredth time?"

"You'll be wrong this time," Sirius said.

"Cockroach Clusters," Remus replied.

The gargoyle took a grudging step aside. The two men argued all the way up the spiral steps to the Headmaster's door. Finally, they found themselves seated before one Albus Dumbledore.

"Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore asked in lieu of greeting.

"Yes, please," Sirius said, taking two. Remus took one, giving his flatmate a weary expression, and sat as Sirius stated his grievance.

"We want to see Harry."

"It's good to see you, too, Sirius," Dumbledore agreed as Remus buried his head in his hands, embarrassed for them both, seeing as Sirius lacked enough sense to be embarrassed himself. "As always, I'm afraid that is against Harry's best interests at this time in his life."

A wrinkled hand stalled the protest on Sirius's lips. The older wizard regarded his younger fellows with some remorse.

"Please believe that you are not the only one who is pained by this decision. As a close friend to James and Lily, I am often tempted with the curiosity of seeking young Harry out."

"A field trip!" Sirius cried happily, "A day visit. We'll all go! You've no idea how happy it would make—"

"You!" Remus cut in sharply, startling the other man, "It would make YOU happy, Sirius! Can't you see? You're being completely unreasonable."

"Now, gentlemen," Dumbledore said genially, "I know your intentions come from your hearts. It is with great regret that I cannot allow us to visit young Harry Potter."

Remus leveled Sirius with a gaze that clearly said 'I-told-you-so.'

Sirius barely refrained from pouting. Barely.

"While your concern warms my heart I must remind you that we do want to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to young Harry," Dumbledore continued. "He will return to the wizarding world on his eleventh birthday when he comes to Hogwarts. There will be ample opportunities for him to reminisce with you then…"

"It would be so easy," Sirius whispered quickly, "to spirit him away for a day! Less than a day, a couple hours! Listen, if we do it right after the Muggles leave him alone—"

Remus elbowed him sharply. "And we would have _no idea_ when that could be, wouldn't we, Sirius Black!"

The Headmaster smiled kindly at them over the table. "While your concern does you credit, Sirius, I'm afraid that's just the way it is. Until such a time that Harry can safely go about our world with the proper protection, it is in his best interest to remain with his relatives."

"You don't understand!" Sirius roared. He had jumped to his feet. "He's _miserable_ there! Think, Remus! When have you seen him smile? Once? Twice?! He deserves better! He needs better! Harry can't spend his whole life locked up in that awful lonesome house. He, what, hey, why are you making that face at… me…"

Sirius's demands dwindled as he realized what he'd said. The two men turned slowly to look at the Headmaster.

Dumbledore's twinkle was in full force.

"No, no! Don't mind me. Do go on! You were saying, Sirius?"

The younger wizard groaned and flopped back into his plush armchair. Black's big mouth had outed them.

"We're never seen," Remus began. "Despite Sirius's… _enthusiasm,_ we've been very cautious. We are always under Notice-Me-Not charms and we observe when the Muggles are least likely to notice anyway…"

"We've never been caught," Sirius bragged, "Not by them, Harry, or old McGonagall."

"My, my," Dumbledore said with his smile bright, "Even avoided our keen-eyed Deputy Headmistress? That IS impressive. Tell me, my dear Alumnus, how _did_ you manage to evade her?" Remus felt a powerful urge to hit his flatmate with a stinging hex. "Actually, I _do_ seem to recall an incident when the Professor mentioned seeing a large black dog in Surrey fighting with a garden snake. She was convinced that you were involved until Severus assured us the snake was highly venomous, and would have likely killed a dog with a single bite."

"It was a huge snake, at least two meters long," Sirius protested right away, "Nasty bugger. Nearly didn't survive! Just goes to show I'm tougher than I look, see? YEOUCH!"

Sirius nearly flew out of his chair, rubbing his stinging bum with both hands.

"Gentlemen," Dumbledore said with a hint of reproach, still twinkling.

Remus pocketed his wand. He shot his flatmate a sullen, mutinous look. Sirius shot a similar look in return.

* * *

The meeting ended with both men giving an oath not to reveal Harry Potter's location or to bring others to it. Dumbledore forbade them from visiting again with a less twinkling smile, adding that there would be unfortunate consequences for all involved. Sirius grumbled and muttered but swore with Remus not to take any more risks. They left in a subdued mood.

Sulking was perfectly reasonable behavior for Sirius, but Remus was so unusually glum that Sirius guiltily herded them to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer.

* * *

Four tankards later, Remus wasn't sulking, but Sirius was, and loudly.

"It's his own fault, Moony! Dumbly-old-doot, the, * _hic_ * the old frog! He's a, a, an old goat! An' he's _mean_."

"Hush, now, none of that," Remus scolded, though he didn't seem too concerned with defending Dumbledore's good name. "He's made his decision and we've agreed."

"He's _lazy_ ," Sirius continued, gesturing with his mug. Foam splattered across the table. Remus sighed and dutifully vanished the mess with a wave of his wand as Sirius grumpily quaffed the remaining bubbles. "Lazy. * _hic*_ Lazy, and, and he's old, Moony. So old. He's _too_ old! He doesn't knooooooow what it's like to be a kid anymore."

"Well you're certainly the picture of maturity at the moment."

Sirius managed to make a rude gesture with the tankard. Remus fought the urge to fling another stinging hex.

"He's only doing what's best for Harry," Remus said diplomatically. "And he's right. We've been careful, but we don't want to draw attention to that house unnecessarily. We've got to maintain a low profile."

"And we have been! No one's known! No one would've known… if I hadn't screwed up so royally…" He moaned the last and sunk down to bang his head on the bar.

"Yes, well." The werewolf patted his friend's shoulder, well aware of Sirius's personal misery at his slip-up. "Come on, Sirius. It's no good sulking about like this. Let's have another pint before we head out."

"You know you, * _hic_ * you said that two pints ago," Sirius said suspiciously, but didn't protest as Lupin rose his hand to call over the barmaid. He felt his eyes cross slightly as the glasses arrived.

"Woah. Maybe I should lay off, mate. I think I'm seeing double. That's three or two mugs?"

"Three," Remus confirmed. "Severus mentioned he would be free this afternoon."

The other wizard moaned and slumped across the table.

"You invited the _bat_ ," he groaned, miserable anew.

"He's not a bat," Remus said rolling his eyes, "And you've had one less pint than it takes to be pleasant around him. Drink up."

"That's why we've not left yet," Sirius accused, though he took the offered tankard. "You're saucing me up so I won't insult your _boyfriend_."

"Astute of you," Remus agreed. "Drink up."

"None of this kid's bubble-brew, then," Sirius argued, pushing the tankard back. "Rosemerta! A shot of Bilshen's Best!"

"Shouting at women, Black? No wonder you haven't had a date in seven years."

Sirius grumbled in a manner most unfit for the scion of a Most Noble and Ancient House as Remus made room for the Potions Master. "Severus. I'm glad you were able to join us." He indicated the warm mug still bubbling with hot foam. "Butterbeer?"

The man sneered in response and instead intercepted the Firewhisky Rosemerta had brought for Sirius. "Something more refined, I think," he drawled.

He missed the way Remus wilted slightly. Sirius did not.

"His drink's on him," Sirius informed Rosemerta flatly, "And I'd like _two_ shots of Ogden's Oldest please."

The Potions Master regarded Black with bald incredulity as Rosemerta summoned a bottle from the topmost shelf. He ignored Remus beside him as the werewolf tried to strike a conversation, instead watching the barmaid prepare a sparkling crystal glass for the whiskey. Sirius flipped her a Galleon in payment and a silver Sickle as a tip. He ran his fingers across the cup's rim. The liquid inside resembled flickering flame in the dim candlelit bar. Sirius gave a small laugh, only to himself, and threw back his drink.

The ensuing coughing fit which included a small plume of bright orange fire was inevitable.

Rosemerta was pouring a glass of water, muttering darkly to herself about renewing the anti-charring charms on the ceilings and lamps, as Remus helped Sirius recover. Snape was chuckling darkly. "Everyone knows Ogden's is to be sipped, not shot, Black. Or rather, anyone with a sense of refinement."

Through his coughing, Sirius managed a rude retort.

Snape returned the sentiment.

"Severus, please," Remus entreated, and looked into the other man's eyes. Snape made a face and sighed but held his tongue until Black was back in his seat. He couldn't restrain a scoff as Sirius then reached for the _second_ shot of Ogden's.

"WHAT, Sniv—What, Snape?" Sirius snapped.

"Oh, no, please," Snape leered. "Make another spectacle of yourself. I shan't stop you."

"Can't I ever invite the two of you drinking without a fight breaking out? Just once?" Remus pleaded.

"Considering our history?" Snape's teeth were firmly clenched. "How he almost got me mauled, and you expelled, or _worse_ —"

"Oh, not this _again_ —"

The Most Noble and Ancient Head of House Black banged a fist on the counter. "A wager! Rosemerta, Firewhisky. Snape! If I can outdrink you, you'll never bring up that ancient Manticore dung from our past again."

"Accepted," Snape said tartly, raising his own glass, "If I win, you'll grant me a personal boon from House Black to House Prince, plus a public apology in the place of my choosing for needlessly endangering my life at Hogwarts during our Fifth Year."

Remus started to protest but Sirius spoke over him.

"No to the first part but yes to the second; not that it matters, since you're about to lose! Drink up, Potion-Sniffer!"

The contest began despite Remus's protests. More than one bar patron had overheard the exchange and word got round rather quickly that a drinking contest with a wager had begun. Several of the bar's other patrons were cheering and providing a tally. A betting pool had started somewhere with an upturned pointed hat going around taking Sickles and handfuls of Knuts. The contestants took shots at intervals and exchanged sharp insults in-between, to the cheers of the crowd growing around them, growing slowly as more witches and wizards trickled in from outside.

Snape slammed his third glass on the bar top and leered at his opponent.

"Give up, Black. You'll never keep up this pace. Your nostrils will be _smoking_ tomorrow."

Sirius belched a decent-sized fireball and slammed his own glass on the bar top to cheers from the crowd.

"Another!"

Rosemerta set out two more shots of Ogden's. Both men reached out and knocked them back in sync. The crowd applauded and roared in approval. Plumes of fire puffed out of both men and singed the overhead lamps. A witch with curling blonde hair had the lamps clean and re-lit before the next shot had been poured.

Remus tried again to avert the contest, appealing to both contestants separately. Snape dismissed his concerns and sipped away the remainder of his sixth shot with steady hands despite the rising color in his pale cheeks. The werewolf turned to his best friend and desperately tried to make him see reason.

"This is highly immature behavior, Sirius! The _exact_ kind of behavior Dumbledore warned us not to get into! Think of Harry!"

"Shhhh, don't you worry," Sirius said confidently, patting Remus on the back. "I am."

He threw back his sixth shot to match Snape, then called for another round.

The crowd cheered and more Firewhisky was poured. Remus sighed in defeat and nursed his Butterbeer. He should have known better than to try and invite his best friend and his partner to the same bar. The day had gone from bad to worse. First they had blown cover trying to get a legitimate visit with Harry. Now this! The sandy haired man growled into his pint before excusing himself from the bar. His departure was marked by the roar of the crowd; Snape and Sirius had just finished another round.

Sirius waited until the werewolf was out of reach to grin wildly.

"Poor, poor Moony. Abandoned by his date to prove he can hold his liquor! Wonder how that makes him feel about _you_ , Snape."

"He's not the one who boasted his imbibing skills, Black. Are you ready to forfeit?"

"I'll bet you ignore him more than he deserves," Sirius muttered, dropping his voice below the bellowing of the crowd. Snape's grip on his glass turned his knuckles white.

"Are you accusing me of—"

"Brushing him off? Ignoring his efforts?" Sirius sipped his shot and licked his lips. "He confides in me, you know."

Snape sneered. "He is left wanting nothing from me, Black; of THAT I am well aware."

"Oh? And you accused ME of bragging. Exaggerating, more like!"

"Another round," Rosemerta was calling out, setting down two new glasses of Ogden's. Both men snatched them and drained them at once, though Sirius had an observable sway, and Snape had to set his glass down twice somehow. The betting pool was growing and the bar had become completely packed. Despite the crowd, Sirius managed to lower his voice conspiratorially to hiss an added challenge to the Potions Master.

"I'll hand you that boon you wanted, Snivillus, if you can really beat me—"

"I'm about to," Snape hissed as he reached for his shot glass. His composure slipped a bit as he missed the cup. Sirius snickered and snatched his own shot glass with a mad light in his eyes.

"But I wasn't finished! Listen. Here's the stakes: I've got my eye on this bird in the corner. Brown hair? Blue robes? Reeeeally big rack?" Snape snorted but managed to nod. Sirius broke out into a grin above his shot glass. "Right, right, *hic*, here's the thing: I'll bet I can make her _sing_." The statement was accompanied by several winks and nudges for which Snape glared scornfully.

"Is there any point to your inane chatter, Black, or do you declare forfeit?"

"It's a singing contest," Sirius cackled, "See, I'll make my bird _sing_ more times than you can make your puppy _howl_ —"

The older man had abandoned the bar and was shoving patrons out of the way to find Remus. Sirius full out bellowed his laughter and the crowd roared its approval as Severus Snape bodily hauled Remus Lupin from his empty Butterbeer mug and rented a room from Rosemerta on the spot. Hearty cheering and cat calls followed a confused and mildly suspicious Remus up the stairs.

Such a ruckus was raised as the patrons tried to figure out who'd won or if Snape had forfeited that very few noticed Sirius Black absconding into the early night.

* * *

BANG BANG BANG BANG.

A wild knocking woke Remus from his contented sleep. He tore into consciousness with a sense of urgency, hand groping for his wand. The door was being hammered ferociously, muffled shouts from the other side rousing both men to clarity. They had been part of the previous war and some habits died hard. Snape had his wand trained at the door as it was spelled open from the other side. A figure threw open the door and bellowed.

"He's gone, Remus! Remus! He's—"

Sirius choked abruptly in the doorway.

"—SWEET MERLIN _, MY EYES_!"

Snape dropped his wand out of position to fire and instead quietly calculated which Dark Hex he could land Black with without also upsetting his partner.

"AAAAH"

Sirius was rolling on the ground covering the upper half of his face, kicking and flailing as though he'd been burned.

"BLOODY HELL, MY EYES, MOONY! OH, SCOURGIFY THEM, I BEG OF YOU—"

Remus dropped down with a heavy sigh of relief. "Sirius, please. It's early. I thought… Merlin! You gave me a scare."

"SOMEONE OBLIVIATE ME!"

"Why didn't you wait until we answered the door?" Snape snapped testily.

"CLOTHES! CLOTHES, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF DITTANY! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON! MY EYES!"

"Wait, Sirius," Remus asked as he drew on a discarded robe, ignoring Sirius's gagging, "What did you say, when you first came in?"

"Do you have clothes on?" Sirius muttered rebelliously, not daring to peek from where he'd buried his face.

Snape rose his wand only to have Remus interrupt his Hex. The two wrestled briefly before Snape made a strangled noise of acquiescence. Remus sighed heavily, bemoaning to himself and himself alone the difficulties of being the only actual adult present, and repeated himself. "Yes; Sirius, we have our robes back on. What did you say when you came barging in?"

Sirius Black sat up and looked as serious as either man had ever seen him.

"Harry's gone."

* * *

End Chapter


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